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Textile Sculpting Workshop

Welcome to Veronika Olivier’s course introducing textiles and fibers in sculpting. Veronika is a South African living in a small town south of Johannesburg in a hundred-year-old house. She has been an artist all her life and only started to practice it full-time for the last 4 years. Veronika’s inspiration comes from visual experiences, memories and imagination. As an avid recycler, she uses things from around the home, including plastics, old clothes, boxes, tea bags, etc. Veronika sources materials from second-hand and charity shops, textile waste from designers and gathers anything she can get her hands on.

The aim of the course is to introduce you to new ways of sculpting appropriate for textiles and fibers through observation and using a range of media, techniques and approaches. Through this creative process, you will be encouraged to experiment and develop your own ideas to inspire future textile works. You will also start to see your work in a broader context by looking at contemporary artists who approach textiles in different ways.

The course aims to:
– Introduce you to new ways of developing visual work appropriate for textiles.
– Use a range of media, techniques and approaches in your work.
– Encourage you to experiment and develop your own visual vocabulary.

Through the course, you will:
– Acquire new ways of working creatively.
– Develop new observational skills.
– Explore some textile manipulation techniques.
– Gain greater confidence in your potential for textile-related work.

Welcome message:
Welcome to my course introducing textiles and fibers in sculpting.  I have always love beautiful fabrics.  Since I can remember I have been making clothes, soft furnishings, curtains and décor for our house.  I love working with the different materials, fibers and textures.  About 10 years ago I owned a gift and coffee shop and made most of the crafts myself.  This resulted in me building up a stockpile of beautiful fabrics.  Even after I sold the shop I continued to buy beautiful materials purely for the colors, textures and because I simply can’t resist it. About 2 years ago I looked at my, literally almost a room full of fabrics, and knew I had to use it.  I researched soft sculpture and found incredible artists throughout the world who inspired me.  I wanted to create a different and unique way to make my own sculptures not just because I just did not want to copy someone else but also because there are so many soft sculptors in an already competitive market.  I knew I had to do something completely different.  I combined my creative and artistic skills with what I learned from the various mixed media courses I did online over a period of 2 years.  I knew from the start I wanted my textiles to be hard (like a real sculpture) and also sealed because in my mind I only saw dust accumulating on soft-sculpted textiles and how difficult it must be to keep clean….. especially white fabrics.  I made my first 7” rabbit just over 2 years ago and never looked back.  Since then my style has also evolved and changes frequently as I continue to grow.  My hope for this course is to inspire you to venture into the wonderful world of fabrics as an art medium and to develop a unique and ingesting style of your own that will draw attention on the art world…… just like me.  Enjoy the classes!

A Bit About me:
My name is Veronika Olivier. I am a South African living in a small town south of Johannesburg in a hundred-year-old house. My husband currently works in Botswana so I am constantly on the road between the two houses.

I have been an artist all my life but have only practiced it full-time for the last 4 years. My inspiration comes from visual experiences, memories and imagination. As an avid recycler, I use things from around the home, including plastics, old clothes, boxes, tea bags, etc. I source materials from second-hand and charity shops, textile waste from designers and gather anything I can get my hands on. There is nothing pre-planned about my processes. I rely entirely on my creative instinct.

My love for beautiful textiles and my constant curiosity to explore new things evolved into the birth of my extraordinary mixed media textile creatures. My ideas change and develop as the work progress and I allow each piece to evolve and take on a life of its own. Every character has a name and a story.  At the moment I enjoy sculpting and focus on my textile creatures and clay figures which are often combined with found objects.

Course Supplies List
Website: www.veronikaolivierart.co.za
Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/MerakiOOAK

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